Ex-Cal CB Camryn Bynum Signs Four-Year Contract With Vikings
It was not a matter of if the Vikings would sign former Cal cornerback Camryn Bynum, but when.
It happened on Friday, as Bynum agreed to a customary deal for a fourth-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.
Bynum signed a four-year, $4.19 million deal with the Vikings, who plan to move him to safety, a position he did not play at Cal. Bynum was the only Cal player taken in the 2021 NFL draft.
Jake Curhan
Photo by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos
Meanwhile, ex-Cal offensive tackle Jake Curhan, who went undrafted, officially signed a free-agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks on the club's first day of rookie mini-camp. This site and others previously reported that Curhan was expected to join the Seahawks.
With regard to Bynum, there is not much wiggle room in negoiations for draft picks these days, as Spotrac noted in its list of how much each draft pick is slotted to earn, based on when he was drafted.
Bynum's salary breaks down this way, according to Spotrac:
2021: $660,000 base salary; $179,453 signing bonus; $839,453 cap hit; $1,377,812 yearly cash
2022: $825,000 base salary; $179,453 signing bonus; $1,004,453 cap hit; $825,000 yearly cash
2023: $940,000 base salary; $179,453 signing bonus; $1,119,453 cap hit; $940,000 yearly cash
2024: $1,055,000 base salary; $179,453 signing bonus; $1,234,453 cap hit; $1,055,000 yearly cash.
2025: unrestricted free agent.
Total value of the deal: $4,197,812
It sounds like a lot of money but it pales in comparison to the $36,793,488 Trevor Lawrence is expected to make in his first four years.
Plus the contract does not guarantee that Bynum will make the regular-season roster.
The signing of Bynum was overshadowed somewhat by the fact that the Vikings also signed their first-round pick, Christian Darrisaw, a Virginia Tech product who is likely to be the Vikings starting defensive tackle in their opening game.
Bynum was one of the Vikings' three fourth-round picks. Minnesota recently traded one of them, cornerback Mike Hughes, to the Chiefs, possibly giving Bynum a better shot at playing time as a rookie, even though Bynum is expected to be a safety.
Curhan started 40 of 42 games at Cal, including 39 consecutive games before COVID-19 protocols snapped his streak last season. Curhan graduated from Cal in December with a degree in business administration.
No financial terms were announced in Curhan's deal and he still must secure a roster spot.
A third Cal player, defensive end Zeandae Johnson, signed last week with the Vikings. Johnson, like Curhan, went undrafted.
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Cover photo of Camryn Bynum by Vasha Hunt, USA TODAY Sports
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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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